Music From China – Past Concerts

Since 1984, Music From China has brought the best of Chinese music – traditional and contemporary – to audiences in the New York area and beyond.

Critics have praised us as "musicians of extraordinary accomplishment and sensitivity performing sophisticated, involving music" (Kansas City Star) and have singled us out for being "accustomed to shattering listeners’ expectations." (High Fidelity)

From the start, Music From China has carved a unique place for ourselves in the music world by playing not only the traditional repertoire, but the latest of contemporary work as well. For more than two decades, our annual Premiere Works concert series has been one of the world’s primary venues for new works written for Chinese instruments – by both emerging and established composers. The International Composition Competition draws submissions from around the world for our prestigious Music From China Prize.

As collaborators, Music From China regularly works with other ensembles, notably the new-music pioneers PRISM Quartet and the early-music Four Nations Ensemble. In 2001, we joined Yo-Yo Ma in a unique event that included the playing of 3,000-year old Chinese bronze bells at the Smithsonian Institution’s Freer and Sackler Galleries of Art in Washington, D.C. For creative programs that combine the music of East and West, Music From China was awarded an Adventurous Programming commendation from Chamber Music America and ASCAP.

Our educational programs have taken us to almost 200 schools, giving students in elementary through high school grades hands-on experience with Chinese instruments and a musical window into Chinese culture. Artist-in-residence programs have taken us to campuses from Bard College and Texas A&M to Princeton University and beyond.

Our 30-member Music From China Youth Orchestra offers youngsters aged 8 to 18 the fun, friendships and discipline of regular rehearsals and concerts along with a chance to connect with Chinese culture in an unforgettable way.